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Koch brothers’ pop-up candidate: Herman Cain

10/25/11 10:45 AMUpdated 04/07/14 02:38 PM

The billionaire Koch brothers have said they intend to funnel at least $200 million into the 2012 presidential campaign. Their closest ties, so far, are to Herman Cain, who would appear to have not much for a campaign infrastructure, and yet who continues campaigning. The reason, Rachel argued last night, is that the Koch brothers fund Americans for Prosperity, and AFP is Mr. Cain’s campaign:

Herman Cain doesn’t have a campaign organization. He does not really have any organization, any on the ground staff anywhere across the country, including in the early primary states. Maybe he doesn’t need it.

Herman Cain is essentially a pop-up candidate. This is a ready-made candidacy. Remember the big mega-funded conservative group Americans for Prosperity funded by the billionaire Koch brothers? That organization, it turns out, is the Herman Cain presidential campaign.

Herman Cain’s campaign manager, the guy that recruited him to run for office supposedly, is the former head of Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity. Mr. Cain’s former campaign spokeswoman, the Americans for Prosperity coordinator in Louisiana. Mr. Cain’s economic adviser, the guy who came up with the 9-9-9 plan was on Americans for Prosperity board of advisers from 2006 to 2008.

At least six other current and former paid employees and consultants for Cain’s campaign have also worked for Americans for Prosperity, this Koch brothers group.

While the other Republican presidential candidates are going to be appearing at an Iowa Republican Party dinner on November 4th, where is Herman Cain going to be at that night? He’ll be at American for Prosperity summit in Washington.

You can read more about the Cain/Koch connection here. This morning, Steve Benen looks at the new Cain commercial and says it might all be an elaborate P.R. stunt, except for the part about the national ad buys.